Is Duolingo Actually Free? What You Really Get and What You Don't

If you're trying to learn English without breaking the bank, Duolingo probably caught your eye. At first glance, it proudly says it's free. But is it really? Here's what actually happens when you sign up.

You download the app or open the website. You pick English, and boom—lessons start. No one asks for a credit card. No sneaky free trial that forces you to remember to cancel. You can finish entire lesson trees without spending anything. That's the pitch.

So what’s the catch? You’ll run into ads, limited practice if you make too many mistakes, and you’ll see constant reminders about their paid version (Super Duolingo). Some features, like unlimited hearts or advanced grammar explanations, are locked behind a paywall. It’s still a legit way to start with zero dollars, but there’s always a tradeoff.

Curious what's actually worth your time? Let’s dig in and separate what you can truly use for free from what’s just bait to get you paying.

• The Basics: What Does 'Free' Mean on Duolingo?
• When You Hit the Wall: What Isn't Included
• Ads, Hearts, and Other Annoyances
• Is Free Enough for English Speaking?
• Pro Tips to Maximize Free Features
• Is It Worth Paying? Who Should Upgrade

The Basics: What Does 'Free' Mean on Duolingo?

When Duolingo says it’s free, they really mean you can start learning a language—like English—without paying a cent. You get access to pretty much the whole basic lesson tree. That means you can go through vocab, practice sentence structure, and pick up simple conversation skills for free. Just sign up and start. You don’t even have to give them your email right away if you don’t want to.

But there are limits, especially compared to their paid version. Here’s what you get with the Duolingo free plan:

• Full access to the main language course (all lessons and basics for your chosen language)
• Daily practice reminders and streak tracking
• Basic review, quizzes, and practice modules
• Leaderboard competition if you want some extra motivation

What stands out is you don’t have to pay for the most important stuff: the main course, daily streaks, and lesson progress. According to a 2023 stat from Duolingo’s own press releases, over 80% of their users stick with the free version and never pay at all.

So, if you want to brush up on your English or even go from beginner to conversational, the free option gives you all the basics you need. That said, it’s not the same experience as paying. The main value of free Duolingo is building a habit. If you’re consistent, you can build a real foundation in English speaking without spending any money. But yes, the app will nudge you toward paid upgrades every chance it gets. That’s just the tradeoff.

When You Hit the Wall: What Isn't Included

It’s easy to stick with learning on Duolingo free until you start bumping into those locked doors. The first big thing you’ll notice is hearts. On the free version, you get only five mistakes before you’re blocked from doing new lessons. No hearts left? You’ll have to wait for them to refill, go back and repeat old lessons for a slow refill, or fork out some cash. This can get frustrating if you're really trying to level up your English courses each day.

Then there are ads. You get an ad after almost every lesson, and some are pretty long. Skipping ads is only for paying folks. So if you’re grinding your way through lots of lessons, you’ll spend a surprising chunk of time sitting through ads.

Some lessons and activities are shielded behind Super Duolingo. For example, the “Mistakes Review” feature is locked out for free users. Personalized practice sessions—where the app targets your weak areas—are also premium-only. Want detailed grammar notes and explanations? Those are often missing for free users, especially in more advanced units.

• No offline mode: Free users must stay connected to the internet to use lessons, while Super Duolingo allows offline downloads.
• No unlimited hearts: You're stuck with the five-mistake limit unless you pay.
• Limited access to monthly challenges: Some special quests and progress boosts need Super Duolingo.
• Streak repair: If you miss a day and lose your daily streak, it usually costs money or gems, and free users don't have reliable ways to earn enough gems quickly.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what you get for free versus Super Duolingo:

Bottom line: you can keep using Duolingo free for as long as you want, but don’t be shocked when you hit limits. If you want everything unlocked or you really hate ads, you’ll end up eyeing that upgrade button at some point.

Ads, Hearts, and Other Annoyances

The Duolingo free experience gives you plenty to work with, but it's not exactly smooth sailing. The first thing you’ll notice after finishing a lesson? Ads, and lots of them. These aren’t just quiet banners—they’re full video or interactive ads that pop up every couple of lessons. If you’re blasting through practice, expect to see more ads than you might on social media. It’s the trade-off for free learning.

Now about those hearts. If you’re learning English courses on Duolingo, hearts act like lives in a video game. Make a mistake and you lose one. Run out—usually after five errors—and you have to stop. You can either wait for hearts to refill (which can take several hours), revisit easier lessons to earn them back, or pay real cash for instant refills. It keeps things challenging, but it also pushes you toward their paid version where you get unlimited hearts.

Here’s a quick look at what most free users run into:

• Ad overload: Ads after most lessons, unskippable videos, and sometimes quiz ads.
• Limited hearts: Mistakes cost you progress unless you’re super accurate or very patient.
• “Super Duolingo” promos: Constant prompts for the premium features like offline access, unlimited hearts, and progress tracking.

The good news? If you’re willing to deal with these quirks, you can keep using language learning features on Duolingo for free. But if constant interruptions get on your nerves, that’s exactly what pushes people to pay up—or look for alternatives.

Is Free Enough for English Speaking?

So you're using Duolingo free to learn English and want to know—will it actually get you speaking? Here’s where things get interesting. The app covers reading, listening, and a little writing, but the focus is mostly on drills and matching exercises. You answer short questions, type out sentences, and pick translations. For speaking? Duolingo uses basic microphone checks to have you repeat phrases, but honestly, the feedback isn’t deep. The app will pretty much let you pass as long as your audio is close enough, so you won’t get detailed corrections on pronunciation or natural expression.

You might notice pretty quickly that you’re not having real conversations or building confidence talking to actual people. The “speaking” part inside Duolingo free feels more like ticking a box than practicing for real-life chats. If you want natural spoken English, you need more than app drills. The gap shows up if you look at what most language students struggle with after finishing a course—speaking fluently with others.

But the free stuff isn’t useless. Here’s where it really helps:

• Builds a good starter vocabulary—common words, basic verbs, everyday phrases.
• Gets you used to English sentence structure and grammar basics.
• Drills in stuff you’ll see on signs, menus, or hear in simple conversations.

What’s missing with just the free version?

• Real speaking practice with another person.
• Instant feedback on your spoken mistakes or strange accent issues.
• Open-ended discussions where you have to think and respond naturally.

According to a language learning app survey in 2023, only about 14% of users said they felt ready to hold a real conversation after finishing the Duolingo English course. That number jumps to 41% if people combine app study with speaking practice—like language exchanges or online tutors.

If your goal is to speak English for travel or everyday life, Duolingo free gets you started but it won’t carry you all the way. Use it as a base, then move to real chats. Grab a language partner, record yourself, or join speaking groups online. The app’s perks are real, but you can’t skip talking to humans if you want to get good.

Pro Tips to Maximize Free Features

If you want to squeeze every drop out of Duolingo’s free side, you’ve got to work smart. Here’s what actually helps regular people level up their English skills without paying.

• Don't Waste Hearts: On the free version, mess up too many answers and you’ll run out of hearts (that's Duolingo's "lives"). Instead of guessing, slow down and tap the hints when you need them. Use the "Practice" button—which is always free—to earn hearts back instead of waiting all day for them to refill.
• Turn Off Microphone Exercises: Speaking exercises can eat up hearts fast if you mumble or have an accent the app doesn’t recognize. You can turn off these speaking questions in settings if they’re slowing you down, and focus on reading and listening, then practice speaking on your own with YouTube or language partners.
• Use Web Over Mobile: The desktop version of Duolingo (on your browser) sometimes gives you extra features for free, like unlimited skill test-outs and fewer ads. It works on any laptop or even a phone browser, and it’s legit.
• Replay Old Lessons for XP: Go back and redo solved lessons. You’ll earn experience points (XP) and keep the basics sharp without using up hearts. This is also how you keep your "streak" going even on tired days.
• Practice With Friends: Add friends in Duolingo and challenge each other. Having a bit of friendly competition makes it less likely you'll skip days—and it keeps things fun for free.

And here’s a quick rundown of what free users miss out on—and how you can get around it:

Keep these tips in mind and you can get basically everything a Duolingo free user needs to build solid English basics, all without spending a penny.

Is It Worth Paying? Who Should Upgrade

So here’s the big question everyone asks after a week or so: Should you actually pay for Duolingo? If you just want to practice some words and phrases or keep your brain busy, the free version gets the job done. But if you’re serious about learning English (or any language), sometimes the free version doesn’t cut it, especially for English speaking courses. That’s when it's tempting to pull out your wallet.

Here’s what you get with Super Duolingo (that’s their premium plan):

• No ads. Lessons go faster without random commercials breaking your flow.
• Unlimited hearts, so mistakes won’t lock you out of lessons.
• Personalized practice and advanced review features.
• Progress trackers and monthly streak repair—a big deal if you care about motivation.

According to Duolingo’s official FAQ, almost 98% of their users stick with the free version. So who actually benefits from paying?

• If you’re prepping for an English exam (IELTS, TOEFL) and want non-stop practice, unlimited hearts can seriously matter.
• If you hate interruptions, no ads make the lessons feel smoother and less frustrating.
• Busy folks who need to fit quick practice sessions in odd moments. No time wasted waiting for hearts to refill.
• Parents buying for kids—they get peace of mind that progress won’t stall if the kiddo blitzes through mistakes.

To see if premium fits you, try this table for a side-by-side comparison:

That said, it’s not magic. The content—the lessons and exercises—stay pretty much the same. It’s the experience that changes.

“Paying for Duolingo removes roadblocks, but the core learning stays the same,” says David Heinemeier Hansson, a well-known tech founder and learning enthusiast.

If you’re cool with ads and like a challenge, stick to the free side. But if frustration slows you down or you need uninterrupted learning for your language learning goals, premium might just be worth it. Honestly, try the free version first, then ask yourself: Am I losing more time or motivation than the monthly fee is worth?